title: Therapy implications of child abuse in multi-risk families.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim is to critique Australian child maltreatment policy, outline abuse trends and provide data on family risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified policy gaps and reviewed family profiles within selective child maltreatment databases. Data sources included international and Australian literature, Queensland Department of Child Safety reports and a research clinical database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data reviewed suggest that a pattern of co-occurring complex multiple system family problems characterize substantiated abuse cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of multiple family problems suggests the need for a new treatment paradigm. Multisystemic Therapy for child physical abuse and neglect is an evidence-based intervention that matches the therapeutic needs of such families.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia. william.bor@mater.org.au
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bor
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stallman
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Collerson
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Cynthia Cupit
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000639:trends*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Multisystemic Therapy; child maltreatment; correlates